Percy POV

It had been two days since Jason and Thalia had learned the truth about Percy's and Nico's situation. Well, some of the truth. Percy mused to himself. There was so much more he could tell, but Percy wasn't ready to go down that road.

So instead, he lay on the floor of the Grace's house, staring up at the ceiling of the Grace's house, lost in thought, and listening to Nico snore from on the couch. Percy allowed himself a small smile. In the two days they had been there, Saturday and Sunday, the two of them had begged, pleaded, and even tried to bribe Thalia into letting them leave. Thalia refused. Now Percy had to got to school again. Oh well. He thought to himself Two more months and I'll finally be free of that hellhole. He was interrupted by a harsh whisper, coming from across the house. Percy strained to hear it.

It sounded like Jason and Thalia were arguing. "Thalia...This...you sure?" Percy heard, the words blocked out by Nico's snores.

"Yes. They...we should...is that...problem with you?" The other voice, who Percy was sure was Thalia, replied.

"No...I think...gonna be with..."

"Whatever...them...tonight"

"I still...take it well...I mean...He's..."

"...Care. It's...not going to...my mind"

Soon Jason and Thalia had started walking, and were out of earshot. Percy sighed. Now he would be left wondering all day.

30 minutes later

Percy and Jason were walking to school, the two of them in complete silence. It wasn't quite as far to Goode from Jason's house than from Percy's bridge. Yes, Percy's bridge. After living under it for almost three years, he figured he had the right to call it his own. After all, there was nobody willing to argue with him.

As the walk dragged on, Percy's mind began to wander. First to how heavy his bags were, then to the guitar itself. Jason said something to him, but his brain blocked Jason's voice out of his ADHD induced musing. He was thinking up words for their latest song, (There was no way he was going to be ready in two weeks), when a realization hit him like a ton of bricks.

"Jason" Percy said, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk, cutting Jason off mid-sentence.

"Yeah?" Jason replied, surprised by Percy's outburst.

"We're performing in 2 weeks."

"Uh yeah, Perce, we are" Jason said sarcastically. Percy continued

"We don't have a microphone"

Jason stood there silent for a moment. "Shit" he finally said. "How are we going to get one?"

"Steal one?" Percy offered

"Seriously dude?" Jason asked, shocked "From where?"

"School music department"

"No. We. Are. Not. Stealing."

"Then how else are we going to get one?"

"I don't know! Let's just get to school and I'll try to come up with a way!" Jason said, frustrated.

"Ok" Percy relented. "But seriously, all we'd have to do is..."

The rest of the walk consisted of Percy describing to Jason how they'd steal a mircophone,with each new idea being more outlandish than the the same time, Jason wracked his brain for legal ways to get a microphone on such short notice. When they were in sight of the school, Jason finally had an idea.

"How 'bout I talk to Reyna, Rachel, or maybe Annabeth, and see if they have one we can borrow, or if they know how much one costs?" Jason said. Percy just nodded, but the second Jason said those names, Percy's face had transformed itself into a grim mask of indifference. It was the same mask he wore to school every day.

"Okay" Jason said, and turned to head into the building, while Percy would sit outside, in the warm March weather, and play guitar for a while until class started.

Percy stood in front of the school for a minute, facing the benches and tables he normally played at. He should have gone over there, but something held him back. Finally he spun around. "Jason! Hold up" He called after the other boy. When Jason stopped, Percy jogged ahead to catch up to him.

"What is it, man?"

"I..I just" Percy stuttered out, nervously. "I just wanted to say thanks, for all the stuff you and Thalia have done for me and Nico." When Jason nodded, he continued. "And that if you don't want to be seen with me while we're here, I'm fine with that."

"Why would I want that?" Jason asked, totally confused. "I mean, we're already having this conversation, and you have basically spent the last, like, month at my house."

"Yeah I know" Percy said, looking down at the ground, his voice quite. "Okay" He said at last. But Jason didn't move. It was almost like he was expecting the rest of the sentence, which Percy had thought only he knew was there. "Just...please don't involve me with them." Percy spat the last word like it burned his mouth just to think about saying it.

"Okay" Jason said after a moment, nodding.

"Thanks" Percy said, and started to walk towards the doors. Suddenly, his knees buckled, and he fell to the concrete, landing in a kneeling position. Black spots danced across the corners of his eyes, while his head started pounding. Please, not again! Percy shouted inside his head. Not now! Not again, please. Please please please please please not again. No one needs to know! Just not again! He begged, tears beginning to form in his eyes.

Mercifully, his head stopped pounding, a few seconds later, and the black spots disappeared from his vision.

"Are you ok?!" Jason asked, worried, and if Percy was hearing correctly, a little afraid.

"Yeah" He said, forcing a smile. He prayed that it looked convincing enough.

"Alright. I guess I'll head to class." When Jason said this, Percy breathed a silent sigh of relief. Another day, another lie, and another nightmare. Percy thought bitterly, as he watched Jason walk towards the doors.